| At no stage in one's life do we need more help than | | | | Then there are more local and regional charities which |
| when we are children. The older you get, the more | | | | pick up the slack which is left by a combination of - in |
| you learn and to some extent the easier you will find | | | | some cases - too wide a focus and in others of a |
| dealing with everyday situations - even adversarial | | | | truly unfortunate situation at local level. Charity for |
| ones. When we are at an early age it is therefore | | | | Children focuses on the Central New York area |
| necessary to rely on others to a large extent. As we | | | | where there is no small amount of need for a charity |
| get towards the elderly years it again becomes | | | | to help with the delivery of financial and educational |
| necessary to rely on a measure of help, but if we | | | | support to families in need in places like Onondaga, |
| retain our mental faculties we will at least be in a | | | | Madison, Oswego and Cayuga counties, helping |
| position to know what we need help with and when | | | | children suffering from disabilities among other |
| we can go it alone. As a child, every new situation is | | | | disadvantages. The charity was formed in 2004 by |
| scary to an extent, and we need the help of | | | | members of the local community who identified that |
| experienced adults. | | | | disadvantaged children in the area were being missed |
| Children's charities are among the most necessary of | | | | by other charitable agencies. |
| all for this reason. Although the first line of defence in | | | | Charity for Children has founded a campaign known |
| any situation of adversity for a child will, in most | | | | as the First Duds Program. Launched in November |
| cases, be their parents, there are cases where this is | | | | 2005, the First Duds program provides a brand new |
| not possible or their parents are ill-equipped to cope | | | | set of infant clothing to any needy family in the local |
| with the situation. Whether the child is an orphan or | | | | community, to be distributed by social workers and |
| they have lost one parent, or their parents are | | | | local nurses at clinics and hospitals. As well as the |
| unemployed, homeless or otherwise restricted, it is | | | | very clear material benefits of doing this, it also has a |
| essential to have a support group in place so that | | | | real symbolism to it, allowing the children to get off |
| children from disadvantaged backgrounds are in a | | | | to a better start in life by providing them with their |
| position to cope with the slings and arrows of life. | | | | first clothes all to themselves. A first set of infant |
| Some children's charities take a global focus, dealing | | | | clothing costs just $25, but for some this is more |
| with the disadvantages faced by children in war-torn | | | | money than they can spare, and to give a child a |
| or famine-beset countries. Some take a nationwide | | | | start in life, it is just a drop in the ocean for those |
| approach instead, looking at how a government can | | | | who can afford it. |
| be prevailed upon to deliver the needs of children. | | | | |